The first thing that might come to mind when you visit Lisbon is the Pasteis de Belem dessert. However, have you thought about going to the original location where this desert began? The Pasteis de Belem bakery has a rich history.

You really do need to explore Lisbon’s Belem district. 

Seriously, it would be a shame if you were not to visit this area of Lisbon, especially if you did not taste one of these sweet treats! As soon as you bite into a pastel, you will understand why. Typically, when someone answers positively, my next question is, have you tried Portuguese Cuisine?

Portuguese Cuisine

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However, I often hear people say they do not like Portuguese food. Each time I hear this, I get a confused look on my face, and they will say, “Well, what is your favorite Portuguese dish?”

Then I’ll respond with something like as much as I enjoy a classic chafana (a traditional Central Portuguese dish with braised lamb), a caldo verde soup, one of my favorite Portuguese dishes is porco a alentejana. The word consists of crunchy chunks of pork tenderloin in a cilantro sauce. Therefore, this dish is absolutely to die for!

The classic stir-fried salt cod with eggs and potatoes are also known as bacalhao a bra. 

You may wonder where to obtain an authentic Pasteis de Belem in Lisbon. The parish of Belém is west of Lisbon’s city center near the Tagus river. 

Unfortunately, there is no subway system out here. So, take tram 15 to Belém and disembark at Belém-Jerónimos. 

You can see the Jerónimos Monastery and other attractions in Belém. The district is the beating heart of Lisbon and another reason why you should consider visiting.

Pasteis de Belem: The Famous Portuguese Desert

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So between 1700 and 1800, the monks of this monastery created the Pasteis de Belem. Later the recipe was patented. The monastery was closed in 1833, but the relocation of the egg tart production was a little down the road to Casa Pastéis de Belém, where you can still find it now.

People also call the pastel de Belém’ pastel de nata, ‘which means ‘pastry that contains cream in Portuguese. It closely resembles a flan or egg custard tart.

But it has got that little extra.

Pastry

The pastry is genuinely the crunchiest I have ever bitten in.

How delicate! How buttery and yet so tremendously flaky! I can still hear that crunch when I devoured one. It is not your typical puff pastry, that is for sure.

It comes close to phyllo dough. The cooking time is perfect because you will incinerate this kind of pastry if you leave it in the oven for 30 seconds longer.

Pasteis de Belém Baker’s Shop

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Expect to pay €1,20 for each Pasteis de Belem.

You can devour your Pasteis de Belem as you sit inside. Sprinkle cinnamon on top, and enjoy a cup of coffee. It can be pretty loud inside. So you could walk to the park out front as I did, sit down on a bench, and enjoy this creamy treat in the shade.

Please do not wait too long to eat it because the egg tarts are best consumed fresh for the best flavor and crunch experience. I prefer mine, lukewarm, as the flavors melt in your mouth with each crusty bite. 

Fresh

You can be confident the Pasteis you buy here are fresh. The shop sells about 25,000 of these egg tarts daily, so the ovens are constantly working. In peak season, the bakery can bake up to 50,000 pastries daily!

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Where is the Pasteis de Belém Bakery?

Rua de Belém nº 84 a 92, 1300 – 085 

Lisboa Portugal

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